Anna Hirschfeld
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annahirschfeld.bsky.social
Anna Hirschfeld
@annahirschfeld.bsky.social
Senior Director at @PublicDigitalHQ Formerly @DWPDigital. Expect a lot of digital transformation, politics and West Wing. She/her.
Reposted by Anna Hirschfeld
We need better monetisation and transparency regulations. Governments should put some tough proposals out there and watch the platforms self-regulate to avoid the full fat version.
Twitter pays people based on engagement (views, retweets, comments, etc). It appears that many MAGA accounts are based abroad and they use AI technology to generate low-effort rage bait.

My guess is that this will get worse as AI tech improves. For instance, fake videos of minorities doing crime.
November 23, 2025 at 12:00 PM
Reposted by Anna Hirschfeld
Superman might be the perfect movie for Mikey’s lens of optimism youtu.be/ZHF3vCXApkA?...
Superman 2025 is a a Caffeinated Masterpiece
YouTube video by FilmJoy
youtu.be
November 18, 2025 at 5:25 AM
Reposted by Anna Hirschfeld
The Telegraph had to correct its multiple lies about "illegal immigrants" in London at least three separate times.
It takes an obscene amount of hubris to lecture the BBC when you have The Telegraph’s record on truth-telling.

Some of the paper’s errors this year are so bad they’re almost laughable 👇🏻
The Telegraph’s BBC hypocrisy
A paper that knows a thing or two about editorial f*ck-ups...
writesbright.substack.com
November 10, 2025 at 8:06 PM
Reposted by Anna Hirschfeld
A radio programme like the Shipping Forecast but it’s called Bin Day and it just reads out every single council in the country’s bin schedule
November 10, 2025 at 11:53 PM
Reposted by Anna Hirschfeld
Politico is reporting that the breach at the Congressional Budget Office is "ongoing."

“Do NOT click on any links in emails from CBO. Do NOT share sensitive information with CBO colleagues over email, Microsoft Teams, or Zoom at this time,” the email to CBO staff reads.
Cybersecurity breach at Congressional Budget Office remains a live threat
Library of Congress employees were informed to take caution when emailing the office of the congressional scorekeeper.
www.politico.com
November 10, 2025 at 9:40 PM
Reposted by Anna Hirschfeld
I’ve written to Keir Starmer, Kemi Badenoch and Nigel Farage urging them to condemn Donald Trump’s attack on the BBC.

The BBC belongs to Britain, not Trump. We must defend it together.
November 10, 2025 at 11:29 AM
Reposted by Anna Hirschfeld
Neither Tim Davie nor Deborah Turness incited an insurrection against the US Capitol. Congressman didn’t have to flee for their lives because of a BBC Panorama edit.

That all happened because of President Donald Trump. If he didn’t resign, it’s truly *insane* that anyone else does.
November 9, 2025 at 7:24 PM
Reposted by Anna Hirschfeld
Since we’re in the mood for strict accuracy in broadcast news, worth noting that a rival channel had a pundit - unchallenged - say asylum seekers in hotels committed 44% of sexual offences in one county, seemingly because she cannot understand basic maths.
A national newspaper journalist went on a British TV channel to claim police stats showed asylum-seekers committed 44% of sex crimes in Dorset.

This shocking claim was treated as fact by the channel which promoted the clip on social media where it was amplified by AI.

Except... it's bollocks.
November 9, 2025 at 7:08 PM
Reposted by Anna Hirschfeld
New post just out:

Why the criminal justice system should be top of No. 10's "shit list".

No part of the public sector is more broken or brings with it greater political risk. As we saw these past two weeks.

It desperately needs a new approach.

(£/free trial)

open.substack.com/pub/samf/p/f...
Flashing Red
Why the criminal justice system should be top of No. 10's "shit list"
open.substack.com
November 8, 2025 at 8:56 AM
Reposted by Anna Hirschfeld
New post just out:

"Never again?"

On how the radical right are trying to change our collective memory about World War Two as part of their assault on the postwar order.

And why that memory remains a critical defence against nationalism.

(£/free trial)

open.substack.com/pub/samf/p/n...
Never again?
Memory entrepreneurship and the radical right’s assault on the postwar order
open.substack.com
October 26, 2025 at 8:49 AM
Reposted by Anna Hirschfeld
Yay. Priceless. The right column at the right time. And a gleefully English two fingers to the haters.
October 25, 2025 at 7:38 AM
Reposted by Anna Hirschfeld
Iterate, if you can. A new post from me on the long struggle to create shorter feedback cycles in government:

medium.com/@jamestplunk...
Iterate, if you can
The long struggle to create shorter feedback cycles in government
medium.com
October 19, 2025 at 1:18 PM
Reposted by Anna Hirschfeld
Your regular reminder that scrapping ILR for people who have come here and played by the rules, which is what Lam proposes here, is a position supported by 3% of the public
Sunday Times interview Tory "rising star" Katie Lam

She is clear she wants lots of legal migrants to be told to "go home" so as "to leave a mostly but not entirely culturally coherent group of people"

(The interviewer suggests she is scrapping ILR or stripping people of it)
October 19, 2025 at 7:30 AM
Reposted by Anna Hirschfeld
Looking forward to the columnists and right wing women calling out Farage like they did when Corbyn "hated women journalists" - here he is responding to *Michal Husain* in language last (barely) tolerated in professional settings since the 80s.
October 18, 2025 at 12:26 PM
Reposted by Anna Hirschfeld
Researchers pointed a satellite dish at the sky for 3 years and monitored what unencrypted data it picked up. The results were shocking: They obtained thousands of T-Mobile users' phone calls and texts, military and law enforcement secrets, much more: www.wired.com/story/satell... 🧵👇
Satellites Are Leaking the World’s Secrets: Calls, Texts, Military and Corporate Data
With just $800 in basic equipment, researchers found a stunning variety of data—including thousands of T-Mobile users’ calls and texts and even US military communications—sent by satellites unencrypte...
www.wired.com
October 14, 2025 at 1:03 AM
Reposted by Anna Hirschfeld
I’ve never wanted anything more than CONCLAVE: THE GAME
October 11, 2025 at 9:31 PM
Reposted by Anna Hirschfeld
This is AI.
October 11, 2025 at 3:25 AM
Reposted by Anna Hirschfeld
Robin Williams' daughter has some quality thoughts on AI slop
October 6, 2025 at 8:48 PM
Reposted by Anna Hirschfeld
A clear and depressing explanation of why I avoid buying anything from Amazon if I possibly can
Way past its prime: how did Amazon get so rubbish?
Sick of scrolling through junk results, AI-generated ads and links to lookalike products? The author and activist behind the term ‘enshittification’ explains what’s gone wrong with the internet – and ...
www.theguardian.com
October 5, 2025 at 8:28 AM
Reposted by Anna Hirschfeld
Rather than unlocking UK community power, successive govts' digital policies have been focussed on Silicon Valley-style success.

By me for @powertochange.org.uk, on why digital social policy is a necessary building block for a stronger society

www.powertochange.org.uk/evidence-and...
The digital disconnect: taking digital social policy seriously - Power to Change
In our next essay, Rachel Coldicutt explores the urgent need for a community-centred approach to technology policy in the UK. From WhatsApp-powered communit ...
www.powertochange.org.uk
October 5, 2025 at 6:42 AM
Reposted by Anna Hirschfeld
I wrote a short piece for the Observer on the attacks in Manchester.

observer.co.uk/news/opinion...
My son recently found a swastika drawn on the pavement at...
The Manchester attack didn't come as a shock. The only surprise is it hasn’t happened sooner
observer.co.uk
October 3, 2025 at 11:32 AM
Reposted by Anna Hirschfeld
This article manages to name her husband before it names… her.
October 3, 2025 at 11:15 AM
Reposted by Anna Hirschfeld
If you are someone whose heartache for one horrific situation has twisted them into an anger that lacks any definition, today is a good day to take stock. To remind ourselves of the difference between a group of people and what one man does - whether that man is a terrorist or an elected leader. 2/
October 2, 2025 at 3:58 PM
Reposted by Anna Hirschfeld
We are thrilled to announce that our NEW Large Language Model will be released on 11.18.25.
October 1, 2025 at 2:38 PM
Reposted by Anna Hirschfeld
A new senate report is full of *shocking* details about DOGE activities inside the federal government. Including, unfortunately, the disturbing access that DOGE affiliates had to our SSNs:

"One whistleblower noted the possibility that the agency may need to re-issue SSNs to all who possess one."
Armed Guards and Muscle Milk: Senate Investigation Reveals DOGE Takeover Details
A new Senate report claims DOGE put every American's Social Security number at risk—and that officials at federal agencies essentially obstructed an investigation, all but denying DOGE even exists.
www.wired.com
September 25, 2025 at 1:16 PM